2. What Kind of Polity?

This chapter offers up a number of theoretical approaches, including conceptual vocabulary, which will help in the examination of different governance systems that have emerged in northern Cyprus in post-1974 period. The chapter introduces the notions of de facto and de jure states, their impact on governance regime in the north and questions of international non-recognition of the state in the north. More significantly for the analysis, though, the main political and economic motivations and mechanisms of wealth transfer by those in power, namely, clientelism, rentierism and rent-seeking, are highlighted. These concepts, together with those of colonialism and neo-colonialism, are presented as useful analytics for the whole book, including analysis of the relationship with Turkey.